Category: Sports

{{The best players who could not be determined in several training camps held by the team in France, Germany and Phoenix were determined in Taos thanks to its high-altitude weather which is more like what they will experience in Pachuca, venue for their Group C matches in the Fifa U17 World Cup finals.}}

Naming the team, Tardy said, “The team was determined after a week-long of intensive training here in Taos. Players named have been able to impress and worked out hard for them to be in final team in several of the training camps that we have held. “I have no doubt in every member who has made it to the final team and by the time we leave Taos, the team will be in good shape to stage a successful World Cup debut in Mexico,” added Tardy.

Among the players who were named, only three players (Arsenal U16 striker Alfred Mugabo, Express FC midfielder Farouk Saifi Ruhinda and SEC academy defender Eugene Habyarimana) earned their maiden call to the national team while the rest had previously played for Rwanda in international friendly matches and Africa U17 Championships.

Assistant captain Faustin Usengimana said on Sunday that they have gotten used to the weather and sounded confident ahead of their Group C action in the Fifa U17 World Cup final.

“We have gained a lot in the time we have spent here in Taos. We thought the weather would hinder our preparations but thanks to God because we have adapted to the high-altitude training and our performance in both the training and friendly matches promises big for our country and enthusiasts in the upcoming World Cup,” said Usengimana.

The team has not only acclimatized with the weather but they have even adapted to both the meals offered by Sagebrush hotel and supporting care from Sports Alliance CEO Joel Israel who has availed everything either at the hotel or at the playing field to make the team comfortable.

For starters, the Junior Wasps have so far won two friendly matches against Rio Vista U19 3-1 and Classic Gladiators 3-0. Enroute to Taos, Rwanda U17 started preparations for the World Cup in February this year, one month after the Africa U17 Championship concluded in Kigali.

In April, the team held a three-week camp in France where they played several matches against different French youth clubs. On May 18, they played a goalless draw against Tottenham Hotspur U18 before heading to Hennef, Germany, for a one-week training camp.

In Pachuca, Mexico, Rwanda is grouped alongside England, Canada and Uruguay. Rwanda advanced to the World Cup final in African qualifying before losing to Burkina Faso, a team it had beaten in the opening game. The top two teams in Group C will advance to the knockout quarter-finals. {this story was first published by The Taos News}

According to the U.S media, the Long Beach State men’s basketball program has signed a Rwandan within its ranks as part of its 2011-12 class of recruits.

The 49ers announced Wednesday that 6-foot-9, 235-pound Gatete Djuma of West High in Salt Lake City had signed a national letter of intent.

The India Times reports that Djuma, who migrated to the United States from Rwanda without having ever played basketball on an organised level, averaged 11.7 points and 9.8 rebounds per game and was honourable mention all-state as a senior.

In the announcement, LBSU coach Dan Monson said Djuma “has great basketball instincts and already makes plays you can’t teach.”

Djuma joins 6-7 Kris Gulley (Independence, Kansas, Community College) as spring signees.

Two Briton’s Pete White, 31, and Pete Goodwin, 28, will travel approximately 6,000 miles and through 12 countries in just 70 days by bike from the United Kingdom to Rwanda to raise thousands of pounds in sponsorship to make a difference to youngsters in the country.

 The two will start the ‘Cycle to Rwanda’ trek in May 2012 from West Suffolk Athletics Arena, Bury St Edmunds Leisure Centre, Suffolk, and ending in Kigali.

 The Arena has been chosen to host the Rwandan Olympic and Paralympic teams Pre-Games Training Camp as they prepare for London 2012.

The two aim to arrive in Kigali, Rwanda, in time to accompany the Rwandan Olympic team on their journey to Bury St Edmunds.

 The Cycle to Rwanda challenge is part of the ‘Sport For Rwanda’ fundraising appeal which aims to raise £80,000 by 2012 to provide 140 schools in the country sports equipment and training materials to introduce sport to the Rwandan educational curriculum, through charity Rwandan Aid. ‘Sport For Rwanda’ was set up by the St Edmundsbury Olympic Steering Group as part of its Go Rwanda project to build a lasting legacy with Rwanda. Godwin and White are both working with the registered UK-based charity group Rwanda Aid on this project as well as sports for Rwanda and other organisations.

The trek will take them from Bury St Edmunds to Harwich where they will cross by boat to the Hook of Holland. From there they will cycle the 700 miles through France to Marseille, taking a total of six days. They will travel from Marseille by ferry to Tunisia’s ferry port and then cycle 1,750 miles in 18 days through Tunisia and Libya to Cairo in Egypt. From Cairo they will journey 1895 miles in 18 days across Egypt and Sudan to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. The final leg of their journey will take 16 days and 1,605 miles from Ethiopia through Kenya and Uganda to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

White was quoted as saying that he wants to cycle to Rwanda for various reasons such as broadening his horizons of the African continent and experience its beauty first hand but most important is that he wants to make a difference.

 Pete Godwin said he was doing this “because I have always grown up with easy access to sports equipment professional training whereas many of the young people of Rwanda don’t have that luxury in the world of sport. ” He added that he wants to try to create real life actions that symbolise the true meaning of “Everyone’s Games. ”